


Five Gold Rings

by DdraigCoch



Category: Naruto
Genre: Community: adventchallenge, Drama, Five Times Meme, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2012-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-29 06:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DdraigCoch/pseuds/DdraigCoch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Raidou tried to give Genma a ring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Gold Rings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine! Just playing with them. I make no money from this and mean only to help spread christmassy joy. Don't sue, or Santa will leave you coal!
> 
> Written for the 2009 Advent Challenge over on lj

The first Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring is a total disaster. It's a cheap steel band, probably sprayed gold, with a hole in the top for opening bottles. He thought his friend would get a lot of use out of it, since he spends so much time drinking out of bring-home bottles. Later he thinks that perhaps it was wrapping it in a ring box his mother had had lying around that caused the trouble. Whatever it was, Genma drops the box as though he's been scalded, stutters an excuse and flees the house. He doesn't come back for three days.

The second Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring he's not even really trying. They pull crackers, and one of the prizes is a ridiculously cheap plastic ring. It's garishly gold and the gem is hot pink. It's the kind of ring you see little girls wearing when they play dress up. On a whim Raidou scoops it up and offers it to his new lover with a teasing grin, making Genma laugh. He keeps it as a good luck charm, and wears it on his pinkie finger. Months later when Genma's rescued from a mission gone wrong, his hands ruined from the torture sessions, he looks up at Raidou and apologises for losing the ring. Raidou calls him six kinds of idiot and gets him to the hospital.

The third Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring it's to mark how far he's come. It's silver, not gold, and a simple battlement-like pattern is etched into its surface. It's big enough to slip easily onto his left thumb without hampering movement or falling off. Snowflake scars mar both hands now, but they're strong and clever again and when they shake during their dinner Raidou kisses them and tells Genma they're beautiful just as like lover once did for him. When he goes back on duty, Genma switches it to his dog tag chain to remember that he's got something worth going through hell to get home to.

The fourth Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring isn't really a Christmas. Its years later, this ring is old and worn down with love and age, still shining dimly. Raidou never gives it to him, because this ring was also meant to be from Hayate but Hayate's dead. They spend the next months mourning what could (should) have been and somehow Christmas gets lost in the grief. When they come out the other side Raidou returns the ring to Hayate's family, and never mentions it to Genma.

The fifth Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring there's no disaster, no death, and no mistakes. It's a simple golden band, matt finished just in case he forgets to take it off on mission. They're stood out in the freezing cold in front of the memorial stone, visiting old friends and younger loves when Raidou offers it to Genma with a simple promise. The fifth Christmas Raidou tries to give Genma a ring he gets one back. It's the twin of the one he's given, and receives the same promise back. They grin at each other like idiots afterwards, and it's only the threat of frostbite that eventually drives them inside, giggling like kids.


End file.
